A slot machine originates from a pachinko and a reel game. The reel game is a puzzle game as provided by a slot machine. Current game machines mainly installed in most of adult amusement rooms are electronic slot machines providing an electronic reel game in which symbols on reels are displayed on a full screen and are selected by operating push buttons.
An example of an electronic game machine for such an electronic reel game is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2004-73651 (Mar. 11, 2004). FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a typical electronic reel game machine. Referring to FIG. 1, the game machine comprises a front display panel 20 for displaying an image using light transmitted toward a cabinet 10 through inner reels 80, a speaker 40 and a dividend indication part 30 disposed over the display panel 20, betting and start switches 50 and 51 disposed below the display panel 20, a coin inlet 60 disposed on a side of the cabinet, and a coin receiver 70 and a coin outlet 71 disposed in a lower portion of the casing 10.
In the electronic reel game machine, when the reels 80 having a plurality of symbols formed on an outer surface thereof rotate and then stop, some of the symbols on the reels 80 appearing on the display panel 20 are illuminated by light from lamps and are displayed to a gamer, as shown in FIG. 2.
The electronic reel game machine provides only a single reel game. Accordingly, a gamer cannot play other games using such a game machine.
Referring to FIG. 2, the reel game machine comprises an electronic shutter 90 provided between the display panel 20 and the reels 80 for blocking light from being transmitted through the reels 80 to block the symbols on the reels 80 so that a highlighted content or a desired image is displayed to the gamer.
Referring to FIG. 3, the reel game machine further comprises a prism 21, a diffuser 22, a light guide plate 23, and a reflective plate 24 sequentially arranged between the display panel 20 and the electronic shutter 90, and the light guide plate 23 includes an aperture 23a having the same size as the symbols on the reels 80. Thus, it is difficult to constitute a display unit. It is also difficult to implement other games using the display panel 20, which will be sought by the present invention, while playing the reel game. This requires separate game machines.
Both the reel game machine and other game machines must be installed to satisfy demands of gamers. This requires a considerable installation area and increases an installation cost.